Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense...
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This is the home of reviews, articles, interviews and general thoughts about punk, indie, metal, alt country, alternative, no depression, hip-hop, hard rock, soul, etc, etc, etc. Really, it's just a bunch of rambling garbage about rock n roll that spills out of my head...

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

7 Seconds Show Part 3: Kill Your Preconceptions

The third band on the bill was one I was somewhat familiar with, Kill Your Idols. I bought their Funeral for a Feeling album a few years ago and gave it a few listens. It's one of those albums that falls into the "okay" category, because while there's no reason to really knock it, there's no reason to really love it either. It's good, and only good, through and through. Based on that, I expected KYI to put on a decent show, but nothing that would bring me out to see them headline if they came around on their own.

Well, it wasn't the first time I've been wrong and it probably won't be the last. KYI came out and played hard and honest, no frills punk rock. There was some talk, but unlike Champion, singer Andy West actually had something to say about the songs he was singing or about politics. Sometimes, he was just funny. I particularly liked that he pointed out that getting your politics from Michael Moore is no different than getting your politics from Bill O'Reilly. I'd love to see him go a few rounds with Fat Mike and his Punk Voter brainwashing (I'm pretty much to the left of they're half-baked fake liberalism). If punk has a defined political position, it really is dead, so Andy's words were very reassuring. But it wasn't a spoken word performance, so the talk didn't sustain their set, it just enhanced it.

KYI's set was so strong, that it really made me go back and re-evaluate the album I have. It still didn't excite me the way they did live, so maybe they're just a live band that doesn't translate to the studio. Or maybe I just have a weak album. I ordered the new one From Companionship to Competition, so I'll let you know how that goes when it gets here. Even if it's no better than Funeral for a Feeling, I'd still say KYI is an awfully good band. They were tight, engaging and powerful. They let loose in a very natural way that stood in stark contrast to Champion. So sometimes my preconceptions get in the way and sometimes they're just blown away. Thanks Kill Your Idols for killing my preconceptions about you.

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